FIA accepts Haas-backed American Formula 1 team for 2015

Next year's F1 grid gets a little Carolina spice.

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The FIA has formally accepted NASCAR owner Gene Haas's bid to join Formula 1 with a new team for 2015. Should his outfit make it to the grid, it'll be America's first team since Teddy Mayer and Carl Haas (no relation) briefly ran Hart- and Ford-powered Lolas before disbanding in 1987.

"Obviously, we're extremely pleased to have been granted a Formula 1 license by the FIA," Haas said in a statement. "It's an exciting time for me, Haas Automation and anyone who wanted to see an American team return to Formula 1."

The search for a 12th team has been on since December of last year, and Haas confirmed his interest in January, with initial reports tying former Red Bull and Jaguar technical director Gunther Steiner to the project. As with most affairs involving FIA head Jean Todt and Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, there was plenty of confusion, rumors, and delays. But now it's done. Haas has his shot.

And if anyone's got the means and facilities to make it to the grid, it's probably the 61-year-old Californian. Besides co-owning a Sprint Cup-winning NASCAR team with Tony Stewart, Haas founded the third rolling-road-style 180-mph wind tunnel in the world—an operation in North Carolina called Windshear. Oh, and he owns the Western world's largest CNC machine tool builder, too.

That being said, approval is far from guaranteed. As many will remember, the FIA accepted the Charlotte-based USF1 Team in 2010, but the outfit (run by Haas's ex-technical director Ken Anderson) collapsed just before the season's start. Should Haas Racing Developments (aka Haas Formula, LLC) pull this one off, one thing's for sure: It won't be starved for homegrown talent to put behind the wheel.

We'll be eagerly awaiting updates from the fledgling team's base camp in Kannapolis, North Carolina.